Shoe



vAnn- In d v V IN VEN TOR /s0 fr. 66a.

Aug. 21, 1923.

Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

-ETE ST ISAAC H. CASE, OF INORTHMOOR, MISSOURI.

SHOE.

Application filed March 16, 1922. Serial No. 544,083.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC H, 'CAsE, a'citi zen of the United States,residing at Northmoor, in the county of Platte and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to shoes and one of the objects thereof is toprovide a shoe which may be readily put on and taken oil without thenecessity of unlacing or unbuttoning it.

The shoe has the general construction of that type commonly known as aCongress gaiter; that is, one in which the upper of the shoe is providedwith an elastic web or webs which allow a sufficient expansion of theupper to permit the introduction of the foot into the shoe or theremoval therefrom.

Such shoes have long been in use but they are subjected to considerablecriticism because .of the unsightly appearance of the elastic web in thesides of the upper portions as well as the fact that the webs soon losetheir elasticity and cause the top of the shoe to present an untidyapparatus.

My invention contemplates the provision of means whereby all of thevirtues of a socalled Congress gaiter may be retained without theobjections heretofore noted and in carrying out my invention I providecovering flaps for the sides of the shoe so that the elastic is notvisible,-the flaps havmg means for securing them together so that theupper will present an'unbroken surface to View and in order to preservethe usual appearance of the conventional type of shoe as to design orstyle, I may provide lacing or buttons in such a manner that the shoewill have the appearance of being a laced shoe or a buttoned shoe while,as a matter of fact, it will strictly be a Congress gaiter shoe or onein which the webs provide for the introduction of the foot.

The novel construction of my invention will be apparent by reference tothe following description in connection with the ac companying drawings,in which-- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe con structed inaccordance with my invention,

' the side flaps beingspread apart to show the method of applying them.i

Fig. 2is a perspective view of a shoe constructed in accordance with mylllVBiltioi, showing the flaps fastened together, an

Fig. 3 is a rear View of the shoe with the flaps fastened together.

The shoe in it general essential details may conform to the conventionaltype of shoe and in the present instance I have shown the shoe 1 with alacing 2 at the front, with the usual tongue so that the shoe will havethe appearance of a laced one. The sides 3 and 4 of the upper areprovided with elastic webs 5 and 6 which conform to the type of shoecommonly known as the Congress gaiter.

The webs can be stretched so that the foot may be introduced into theshoe in a manner well understood. In order to camouflage the webs Iprovide side fiaps 7 and 8. These may consist of the same material asthe vamp or upper portion of the shoe, the free edges being cut out fromthe material along the lines 9 and 10 and the webs are then sewed at thepoints 9 and 10 and to the inner walls of the sides, as at 11 and 12.Therefore, when the side flaps 7 and 8 are brought close to the sides ofthe shoe, an unbroken appearance is presented, as will be clearly seenby reference to Fig. 2.

Since cutting the flaps from the same material as the vamp willnecessitate the flaps terminating short of the rear of the shoe, Iprovide a supplemental flap or extension 13, which may be sewed to theend of the flap 7 and the flap 13 may be provided with fastening devices14 to engage complementary fastening devices 15 on the flap 8, asclearly seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

When the shoe is put on, the flaps can be brought close to the sides ofthe shoe and the fastening devices 14: and 15 caused to inter-engage sothe shoe will have the appearance as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The flaps which cover the webs 5 and 6 not only obscure the webs butthey also constitute reinforcements or bracing flaps because when theyare folded around the shoe and fastened in place, all of the strain istaken ofi the webs and put on the flaps 7, 8 and 13. Therefore,liability of the elastics in the web being stretched to their elasticlimits and breaking will be eliminated.

This obviates the objection dstfially raised j: to this tjpeof shoe. Inthis Way the elastics will be preserved for a considerable longer periodthan would be ordinarily the case Where the elastic is put under strainat each step taken by the wearer.

It will be apparent that the device can be easily applied and removed by'disasso'ciating the fastening devices 14: and 15, and stretching theelastie 'suflici'entl'y" to allow the introduction r removal of theffoot'ofithe f wearer, and that the; desired result can be.

accomplished in'an inexpensive manner.

What I claim and desire to seoiii'e 'by'Letters-Patent is:

A shoe comprising a vamp having a'd erticaifpoi'tion on each sidecutaway; leaving With side spaces formed by the cut-away portions,elasticsE=t0nnected to the edges of the cut-away portions, the cutmaterial in 2' the vamp constituting rearwardly extending ,flaps, thefree edges of which are adjacent to the frontedgeszof the back portionof the Vamp so that theflaps villooverthe elastics, and asuppl'eiiiehta'l fiap "secured to one of the 'iarwardi "expandingflapsand hav- "iiig" ihean's "for. enga ement" with the free .ejdg' of the"other flap;

egemony Wharton afiif y'siignature retiree-ease.

